INTRODUCTION

What is the BIBP?

Definition

The Bibliographical Information Base in Patristics (BIBP) is a documentary system which is dedicated to Patristics.

The BIBP is first an automated bibliographical service specialized in Patristics. It contains both retrospective and current information. Presently, it offers some 29 000 notices from 350 journals. Each notice contains the usual bibliographical information, an analysis by primary and secondary descriptors and an abstract of the document. Each document is directly identified and analyzed from its source. Eventually, a file of some 40 000 reviews of articles about Patristics will be available.

The BIBP also works on the standardization of the patristic nomenclature. So as to achieve the status of a reliable source of information, with the requirement of a unique terminology, the BIBP carefully describes and names the patristic "objects" (authors, works, manuscripts, papyri, archeological artefacts, epigraphic and iconographic documents, etc..). This work of standardization has produced the following indexes now available to users of the BIBP.

Index of the Sudied Patristic Works

Index of the Studied Patristic Manuscripts. Vol. 1, By Authors. Vol. 2, By Place of storage. Vol. 3, By Dates. Vol. 4, By Origins. Vol. 5, By Contents.

Index of the Studied Archaeological Documents. Vol. 1, By Subjects and Nature. Vol. 2, By Provenance and Places of storage. Vol. 3, By Dates and Contents.

Index of the Studied Epigraphic Documents. (By Subjects, Provenance, Places of storage, Dates, Languages and Contents)

Index of the Studied Papyri. (By Denominations, Places of storage, Subjects, Nature of the support, Shape of the support, Provenance, Dates, Languages and Contents)

Index of the Studied Patristic Vocabulary. Vol. 1. By Authors. Vol. 2 By Words.

Index of the the Studied Biblical Texts

Index of the Studied Publishers of Patristic Texts. Vol. 1, By Publisher. Vol. 2, By Works

Those indexes are automated and constantly updated. We intend to make them available over the Internet. Presently, they are available in print form at Laval University

A wide definition of Patristics
Even if patristic literature remains the core of its interest, the BIBP encompasses the whole of patristic christianity. Beyond Patrology, the database distinguishes fifteen patristic subspecialities, namely Archaeology, Iconography, Epigraphy, Christian Papyrology, Christian Codicology, History of Christianity, History of Theology, History of Christian Philosophy, History of the Councils, History of the Liturgy, History of Spirituality (asceticism...), History of Monasticism, History of Biblical Exegesis, Hagiography and Christian texts Philology.

Time limits chosen as to the Patristic period. The BIBP indexes documents about patristic Christianity (from the 1st century (with the exception of biblical texts) up to the mid 9th century). Exceptions are made for Oriental and Slavonic Christianity for which the time limit is the mid 11th century (1054). The limit is pushed to the 14 th century for Syrian, Armenian, Georgian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Persian and Arab Christian literatures.

Sources appearing in the indexes
Presently, the BIBP is limited to the indexation of journals Hereafter is the list of those journals appearing in the BIBP. (Faire un hyperlien ici)

The BIBP is a production of the Faculté de théologie et de sciences religieuses from Université Laval under the direction of Professor René-Michel Roberge.

The BIBP is supported by a scientific council which is composed of the best specialists in each of the patristic disciplines working together with an international network of contributors for the identification and analysis of documents.

Mr. Denis Bouchard is the chief information specialist of the BIBP.

The BIBP is under the official patronage of the Association Internationale d'Études Patristiques (AIEP).